Bob Stoops Talks Innovative XFL Rules and How They Could Change Football
Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops led the Arlington Renegades to their first win in the XFL this season against the Vegas Vipers 22-20 in the season’s home opener.
Stoops sat down for a studio interview with ESPN’s Matt Barrie to discuss the innovative rule changes on display in the XFL and what he feels other leagues can take away from the changes.
Stoops highlighted the fact that kicking the ball is less exciting than giving teams the option to score one point, two points, or three points from different spots on the field following each score by saying, “I think the extra points for sure. You know from the two-yard line, five-yard line, and ten-yard line as apposed to kicking the ball through the uprights, it’s a lot more exciting. There’s a lot more strategy to it, you’re really racking your brain when you get up a score. It’s a much bigger dynamic.”
Stoops also mentioned the analytical side of things in terms of the decision to try each extra point variant and when asked if he had a specific philosophy before each game of what is best said, “The analytics say going for two from the five is the most consistent in getting the most bang for your buck. But different points in the game you may have to go for three, or last week for instance we went for one from the two to put us up eight points, and then they scored to get within two points and couldn’t convert on their two-pointer, so our going for one was a big deal.”
The XFL features a cast of new rules and ideas that other leagues will continue to take note of as the season progresses, for head coach Bob Stoops, his bunch takes on the Houston Roughnecks on Sunday, February 26th.
